Sesame Ginger Soba Noodle Salad

because I care about you eating more veggies in 2025

This is the first recipe of 2025 and I seriously cannot believe I’m even typing that sentence. 2025 just feels so monumental, one of those years I thought of as a kid and said to myself “damn, that’s the future”. I guess it’s also because it means we’re a quarter of the way through the century. So happy 2025 and I’m wishing you a wonderful year ahead, and obviously you’re gonna be eating good because you’re subscribed to this newsletter.

I’m usually someone who makes a huge goals list at the beginning of a new year but I’m really trying consolidate this year and pour more of my energy into the select few things that are most important to me. I’m also using these first few weeks to take stock of all that I’ve already accomplished and I urge you to do the same, you deserve it. 2024 was a huge year of growth for me both personally and here on Substack and across my social media and I’m just so grateful to have you all. I hope you continue to make and enjoy my recipes in 2025 and I’m so excited because I’ve got some GOOD ones coming up.

All that being said, if one of your goals this year is to eat more veggies, then this one’s for you. It’s so refreshing and that sesame ginger sauce is amazing; it would also just be good as a veggie dip. But we digress. This also tastes even better the longer it sits in the fridge so it makes a great meal prepped lunch, which is what I’ve been doing to make sure I get in lots of veggies midday. Plus the addition of crispy tofu makes it even more filling and also ensures you’re getting in a serving of protein. So really you’re checking off all the boxes. Let’s get into it.

Sesame Ginger Soba Noodle Salad

• 2 servings soba noodles, cooked and tossed in 1 tbsp sesame oil

• 1 red or orange bell pepper, julienned

• 1/2 English cucumber, julienned

• 1/2 large carrot, julienned

• 1/4 small red cabbage, julienned

• 3-4 green onions, finely sliced

Sesame Ginger Sauce:

• 1/4 cup tahini

• thumb size piece of ginger, grated

• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

• 3 tbsps soy sauce

• 1/2 tbsp maple syrup

• 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar

• 1-2 tbsps cold water

Crispy Tofu:

• 1 350g block tofu, cut into 1 cm thick slices

• 2 tbsp soy sauce

• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast

• 2 tbsp cornstarch

• 1-2 tbsps oil for frying (I used avocado oil)

1. First marinate the tofu: to a sealable container large enough to hold all the tofu with some room, add the sliced tofu and the soy sauce. Seal the container and shake to coat the tofu.

2. While the tofu is marinating, make the sauce: in a bowl combine tahini, grated ginger, garlic powder, sosy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar and stir until completely smooth. Then add 1 tbsp of water and stir again until smooth. If needed, add another 1/2-1 tbsp of water to reach a pourable consistency.

   

3. Fry the tofu: to the marinated tofu, add nutritional yeast and cornstarch, seal the container and shake to coat. Heat neutral oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the coated tofu in a single layer and fry until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes on each side. Then remove from the pan and set aside.

   

4. Assemble the salad: to a large mixing bowl add soba noodles, bell pepper, cucumber, carrot, red cabbage, green onion and the sesame sauce. Toss to combine, I find using clean hands in the best way to make sure all the noodles and veggies are coated in the sauce.

   

5. Slice the fried tofu, serve the salad and then top with the tofu and serve. Enjoy!

I hope you make this one and enjoy eating your veggies. Sending lots of love, good vibes for the new year, and can’t wait for all that’s to come. See you very soon.

-Raquel xx

IG: @FreshofftheRaq

TikTok: @FreshofftheRaq

YouTube: @FreshofftheRaq